To hedge bets against the chill, she recommends row crop covers, which protect plants from a few degrees of frost and help heat the soil a little quicker too.

“The snow has been around for a long time,” she says, “so the ground is taking its time to warm up.”

As far as vegetables are concerned, she says that spinach, onions and radish can be planted as well.

Fertilization is paramount to any gardening strategy, and Atkinson says it is a good idea to put some down on the lawn as well as in the perennial and vegetable beds now.

When asked to predict how the season is shaping up, she declined to comment, saying she’d need a crystal ball for that.

Atkinson says the benefits of gardening are plentiful.

“You get the enjoyment of planting your own vegetables and knowing what’s been applied on them,” she says, adding: “It’s therapeutic to perform the labour. It’s really good to get off that couch and get out there and rake. It’s like your own gym out in the garden.”